An increasing number of manufacturers are now providing electronic devices having touch sensitive display screens. One type of electronic device that includes a touch sensitive display is the SMARTPHONE. With a SMARTPHONE, the entire front face of the device generally comprises a touch sensitive display. The relatively large size of the display provides a large output area that allows users to view video, images, and other output more comfortably than on devices having the smaller, conventional Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs). Additionally, it also provides users with a larger input area to facilitate the input interfaces associated with user applications such as text editing applications.
Many SMARTPHONES are able to execute text editing applications, such as text messaging applications, that, when executed, divide the touch sensitive displays into two functional areas—an input area and an output area. The output area is for displaying text. The input area is for displaying user input interfaces such as a QWERTY keypad. As is known in the art, the user can compose text, such as text messages, by touching desired characters on the keypad with a finger. With each touch of a key, the device is pre-programmed to display a corresponding character in the output area.
In addition to text, there are some very popular software programs available that allow users to insert graphics into text-based documents such as text messages. One such application, developed for APPLE'S iPHONE by a company called AWESOMEST SOFTWARE, is entitled “EMOJI FREE!” (http://itunes.apple.com/app/emoji-free/id332509635?mt=8). With this application, users creating text messages, for example, can choose to display either the QWERTY keypad to input text, or one of a plurality of other available keypads that display predetermined graphical symbols (e.g., smiley faces, symbols, emoticons). Like the QWERTY keypad, the user simply touches a desired graphical symbol on the displayed graphical keypad. With each touch of a key, the corresponding graphical character (e.g., a smiley face) is pre-programmed to appear in the output area.
Although useful, there are still areas for improvement. For example, while composing text, it is relatively easy for a user to touch an incorrect letter on the QWERTY keypad thereby making it difficult to spell words correctly. Additionally, users will often want to incorporate words, phrases, and other text contained in one or more separate documents without first having to exit the text editing application to copy and paste the desired text.